(Team Hero were used with their handler’s permission)
Harper’s match against Mercedes Vargas wound up being a double edged sword for the youngster, because whilst Harper did get the win over the far more experienced Mercedes, it was only because Mercedes attacked the young Bombshell with a Singapore Cane causing Harper to win the match by disqualification! And just to make matters worse? When Jessie tried to intervene on Harper’s behalf Mercedes turned her attention towards her old rival caning her as well!
The fallout from that match would be resolved next week but before that? Harper had her fifth match to worry about and it was a big one, why? Harper was taking on the recently dethroned former World Bombshell Champion Courtney Pierce in singles action! Courtney had been dealing with her own drama as of late, with her feud with the Bombshell Internet Champion Ariana Angelos reaching new heights of animosity week after week resulting in Courtney trying to break Ariana’s hand at the end of the last Climax Control episode. Can Harper score a huge win?
The medic’s room, backstage at Climax Control 377, Primm, Nevada
Sunday the 12th of November 2023, 21:00pm
You know? I thought I’d have a bit more time in SCW before I found my first sworn enemy.
But in reality? My match record isn’t even in the double digits yet and I’ve already got an enemy, and the worse part is? I get the feeling that it was less about me and more about Mercedes sending a message to Jessie when she got herself disqualified by using a Singapore Cane on me during our match tonight! Since that match I’ve been spending most of the evening in the medic’s room at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm, Nevada being checked out by the medic alongside Jessie.
Oh yeah, Mercedes attacked Jessie when she tried to save the day, is it any wonder why I’m thinking that Mercedes’s attack on me was a way to get to Jessie?
“Okay Harper, good news is your free to go.” The medic informed me and I glanced up from my phone before grinning, Jessie had already been discharged but she was just waiting for me to be discharged as well. “You ladies take it easy over the next week, okay?”
”I’ll try but I can’t make any promises.” I grunted in response before I swung my legs over and hopped out of the hospital bed, I glanced over at Jessie who was clearly fuming. ”Do I even need to ask what’s got you so worked up?”
”Let’s see, Neon Knights is doing fantastic business, you’ve been kicking ass since I convinced you to sign that SCW Contract right after I lost the Bombshell Roulette Title to Alexandra, I couldn’t possibly imagine why I’m absolutely furious!” Jessie responded as her voice just dripped with sarcasm and I folded my arms before tilting my head to the side to show her that I had caught on already. ”If you’re wondering why the hell Mercedes attacked you with that cane? So am I, it’s no secret that we’ve been enemies for as long as we’ve been in SCW but I thought that was in the past.”
”But that’s between you and her though, you’d think people would’ve caught on by now that the only thing we have in common is that we are metal chicks who happen to be wrestlers and related by blood!” I responded with a frustrated sigh and Jessie just shook her head with a frown on her face. ”If nothing else this has all but confirmed that Mercedes will be my opponent at December 2 Dismember IV.”
”It definitely seems to be leaning in that direction, doesn’t it?” Jessie responded before shaking her head. ”But we can’t risk Mercedes pulling the same stunt, this rematch will have to be a No Disqualification match, I can see no other way for this issue to be resolved, I know you won your first title in a Tables Match so it’s not like this will be unfamiliar territory for you.”
”Yeah, not to mention all the other hardcore matches I’ve been in, ladder matches, tables matches, even that Cabin in the Woods Match I did with Cassie in EWC.” I responded with a nod as a grin crept onto my face. ”I mean, on the service I’m not exactly the kind of wrestler who would do well in that environment, my background is in High School Wrestling and Marial Arts, my dad was a military veteran for god’s sake! Yet it’s been Hardcore Wrestling that’s brought out the best in me.”
”Funny how things work out, isn’t it?” Jessie asked with a dry chuckle before I heard a text message notification on my phone and went to check it, I was expecting it to be from Cass because she had promised to tune in for my match against Mercedes, it wasn’t, it was SCW releasing the card for next week’s show in Flagstaff, Arizona. ”The bosses put out next week’s card?”
”Yeah, I’m just looking at it now.” I responded with a nod before I read through the card, I didn’t have to look far to find my fifth match in SCW, but my opponent caught me off guard. ”I’m wrestling Courtney?!”
”Wait, what?!” Jessie demanded before motioning for me to hand my phone over to her and I did so, right there, the third match down, was my match against someone who was the World Bombshell Champion when I signed up with the company. ”And here I thought they were content with booking you against veterans like Laura and Mercedes, Courtney hasn’t been wrestling for that long but she is a former World Bombshell Champion for a reason.”
”Not to mention the fact that my match against her is the first Bombshell Match of the show, and everything that happened between her and Ariana tonight for that matter.” I responded with a frown and Jessie nodded in agreement. ”Didn’t you wrestle Courtney at one point?”
”Ages ago, back when Courtney was still regaining her confidence after her injury forced her to forfeit the World Bombshell Title Match she earned through winning the Blast from the Past Tournament.” Jessie responded as she shook her head and I nodded as I got the idea. ”I don’t think I need to say that Courtney wasn’t the same wrestler she is today when I wrestled her, I don’t really have any advice I can give you that would be useful against her today.”
”No, but I think we know someone who does.” I responded as the gears started turning in my head. ”Keira, she was one of Courtney’s challengers during the Violent Conduct cycle, hell their match was nominated for Match of the Year.”
”Either her or Roxi really, don’t forget that Courtney won the title from Roxi to begin with.” Jessie reminded me and I nodded in agreement, wasn’t like they were hard to find anyway, Team Hero had trained me at Hero Academy after all. ”Worry about contacting them in the morning, I think we’ve both had enough of this medical room for one night.”
”Agreed,, let’s go.” I nodded in response before me and Jessie grabbed our things and left, I definitely had a lot on my mind heading into next week.
A burgeoning feud with a Hall of Famer? A match against someone who just lost the World Bombshell Championship? Things were definitely escalating quickly for me.
Hero Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada
Monday the 13th of November 2023, 14:00pm
You know what sucks more than getting your first disqualification win in your wrestling career? When others are babying you because your opponent was disqualified for attacking you with a weapon!
And that has been the story of my life since I arrived at Hero Academy earlier, Primm isn’t really that far from Las Vegas, it’s a drive of just under forty minutes really, but those forty minutes (give or take) went by like clockwork because I had been thinking about my SCW Career on the way back, warts and all.
I can definitely say that the loss to Bea Barnhart and the disqualification win over Mercedes Vargas were the two lowest points of my career up to this point.
But yeah, when we arrived in Las Vegas I pretty much told Jessie to drop me off at Hero Academy and that I’d make my own way back to the loft whether it was by Uber, someone giving me a lift or me just deciding “fuck it, I’m walking home”, normally I’d use my own car but that’s back at the loft and besides, I still had my wrestling gear with me when I returned to Vegas, I was already all set, but like I said, the problem is with potential sparring partners babying me.
Which is especially frustrating when some of these girls literally started at Hero Academy last week!
”Seriously Zara, I don’t need to be babied.” I complained to the taller woman as we finished sparring, I literally took Zara as my opponent because she was the only one not doing anything at that point, everyone else was either sparring or working out and besides, she was a fellow Tae-Kwond-Do practitioner with a Black Belt so in theory we should be a good match, in practice though? ”I’m not a newcomer to the sport, I’ve been in rough matches before.”
“And how many times did you get attacked by a cane in a regular match?” Zara asked and I didn’t answer, there was only one answer and that was during last night’s match with Mercedes. “Besides, I don’t really have a choice, Keira and Roxi told us to take it easy on you because of that Mercedes match, something about them not wanting a repeat of what happened with Melissa this time last year.”
Off course, it was around this time last year that I was attacked by Melissa as a message to Mercedes ahead of their rubber match at Inception IV, which was also the moment where I was literally marched out of Hero Academy for trying to train without being medically cleared, yeah, that wasn’t one of my best moments. ”Oh you’ve gotta be kidding me! They know I’ve got Courtney Pierce on Climax Control and Young Justice’s rubber match with Shinijoshi at the Rampage Season Finale, why are they pulling this now?!”
“Hey, don’t look at me, I’m just the messenger!” Zara defended herself as she put her hands up and I let out a deep breath. “But Team Hero have been in their office all day since we got here, if you want to get the info straight from the source? I’d start there.”
”Thanks Zara, I think I will.” I nodded in response before I left the practice ring and headed towards Team Hero’s office, I promptly knocked and after a few moments Keira opened the door.
“Oh hey Harper, didn’t realize that you had dropped in.” Keira greeted me upon seeing me and I just sighed in response. “And I’m guessing you heard about me and Roxi’s directive?”
”Yep, Zara spilled the beans when I complained about her holding back in our sparring match.” I responded as I motioned over my shoulder to Zara who was currently doing some warm-ups in the ring now that she was alone in there. ”Do you and Roxi have time to talk?”
“Always, come in.” Keira responded with a nod before she held the door open for me and I let myself in, Roxi was sitting behind her desk and had heard the brief convo between me and Keira based on the look on her face. “Harper we anticipated that you’d be frustrated by our orders to the other Hero Academy students but it was for your own good.”
”My own good?! I’ve got a woman who was the Bombshell Champion just a few weeks ago on Sunday, Young Justice’s Rubber Match with Shinijoshi is coming up and you know how vicious me and Cassie’s battles with that group have been over in EWC.” I pointed out a I sat in front of Team Hero with my arms crossed. ”How am I supposed to prepare for either of those matches when every potential sparring partner is going to treat me with baby gloves?!”
“Because that is a lot better than being put on the shelf because you trained too hard with an injury Harper, we don’t want a repeat of when Keira had to march you out of Hero Academy last December.” Roxi pointed out with a frown as I shifted my weight. “We off course know Courtney very well, she’s a hell of a talent and will be a real test for you at Climax Control, and whilst we have never encountered any members of this Shinijoshi group? We’ve watched Young Justice’s encounters with them, in tag team and singles action, we know that they are all excellent wrestlers.”
”If you know that, then why tell any potential sparring partner to go easy on me?” I asked pointedly as my frustration grew. ”Hell, I’ve got an open invite to train at the Go Gym, what’s stopping me from going over there to train?”
“Gabriel will just give the same memo to the students and graduates from that school, he’s been training wrestlers longer than we have, he’s not stupid.” Keira pointed out that fact and I quickly realized that she had a point. “Besides, if this really about training or are you just looking for an outlet for your frustrations? We saw your conversation with Jessie at Climax Control, between the title match at Empire Pro’s event and how the Mercedes match ended? We can tell that you’ve got a lot of anger building up inside you Harper.”
”Mercedes literally had no reason to go to town on me with that Singapore Cane, she had me dead to rights after that kick.” I grunted in response as I blew a stray strand of hair away from my eyes. ”And that title match? When was it decided that champions could retain via count out or disqualification? That rule makes no fucking sense!”
“Those rules were written long before me or Keira were born, much less you and Cassie, trust me, you’re not the first one to voice frustration with the Champion’s Advantage rule and you likely won’t be the last.” Roxi responded as she shook her head and I nodded as I got the idea. “As for Mercedes? I don’t know what to make of her actions at Climax Control, I’ve faced her more times than I care to count, and we both know that your itching for a rematch with her at December 2 Dismember IV.”
”Is it really that obvious? Don’t answer that.” I responded as I shook my head and Team Hero shared a look. ”More importantly, why even bring that up? I came in here because you told the other students to go easy on me in spite of my upcoming big matches, not how angry I am over my recent matches!”
“Because it’s connected, you did well against Mercedes before she snapped but because of that and the match against Melody your dealing with even more anger than you were heading into the Mercedes match, and now you’re injured on top of that!” Keira pointed out and I started leaning back on my chair as I listened to my trainers talk to me. “Your dedicated, we get that, but if your not careful that same dedication could see you end up like Stacy Jones almost was last year.”
”I know the story Jessie told me shortly after you walked me out of Hero Academy.” I responded with a frown as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”But I can’t prepare for matches like the one against Courtney or my potential rematch with Mercedes when you keep telling the other students like Zara to go easy on me.”
“Trust me Harp, it’s better than having to miss action because you got injured whilst training, or do I need to remind you of the events that surrounded Ari becoming the new Bombshell Internet Champion?” Roxi responded and I let out a deep breath knowing that it was a lost battle. “And on that note, it does go without saying that Ariana will be watching your match against Courtney on Sunday because of everything that happened between them last night.”
”Don’t you think I know that? I had woken up from Mercedes’s attack long before Courtney’s first attack on Ariana, Jessie ended up having to update me on everything going on between Ariana and Courtney because I wasn’t discharged until after Courtney’s final attack on Ariana.” I responded with an annoyed grunt as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”If you think I’m angry at Mercedes? Courtney’s going to be even angrier at Ariana and she’ll be out to take her anger out on me! I’m not in a hurry to win two matches in a row by Disqualification!”
“Use that anger against her, it might just result in the biggest upset in SCW since Georgie Robertson pinned Roxi.” Keira responded and I nodded in agreement.. “And remember what we said about the other students, we’re not doing this because we don’t want you to succeed Harper, we’re doing this because we don’t want you to have your career cut short because of injury.”
”Right, got.” I nodded in response before I left their office without another word, I really had nothing else to do at that point, just light exercise and watching the other guys and girls train in the hopes of following in my footsteps, but in the end, I had two goals in mind for Climax Control.
Make Mercedes pay and deal Courtney her second loss in a row.
Outside Hero Academy, Las Vegas, Nevada
Monday the 13th of November 2023, 21:00pm
*promo time*
Oh joy.
”I have a genuine question for those who have been in SCW since the beginning, and before anyone asks I Jessie doesn’t have a clue, is there a record for fastest time a newcomer found his/her first rival? I’m not sure if The Troll counts because he’s hated by everyone! My point is, I’m not even ten matches into my SCW Career and I’ve apparently angered a woman who’s been around longer than my parents were adults!” I asked with a frown as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”Trust me Mercedes, I don’t care who that was aimed at, if it was aimed at mem Jessie, my Team Hero AKA my trainers, I don’t give a fuck, I will have payback at Climax Control! But first? I have a match that proves that I must be doing something right in my short time in SCW, why? Because my next match is against someone who was a World Bombshell Champion just a few weeks ago! Hello Courtney, didn’t take long for Jet City to face off with Hero Academy did it?”
Not at all.
”I’ve only been an SCW Bombshell for two months now but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t paying attention to the action on screen, more specifically the matches you had as champion, on one hand Courtney you had some genuine bangers with both of my trainers, hell your match against Keira was nominated for Match of the Year, on the other hand?” I asked as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”You only beat Ariana by cheating yet you acted shocked when she decided to deal out a bit of payback, and yes, I’m siding with Ari on this, your reign lasted as long as it did because Ruby tried to hide behind her broken arm to hide the fact that you were starting to slip as champion!”
Yeah, I said it.
”But what does that have to do with me? I haven’t even had a title match in SCW yet, never mind a World Bombshell Title Shot!” I asked as I folded my arms before smirking. ”It has everything to do with our match Courtney, because I think you are going to be too angry at Ariana for costing you everything in the first Main Event of the Cycle to even think about me and that’s going to cost you!” I added before folding my arms. ”But here’s the real question Courtney, how will the end of the match come about? Will you rely on your wife who is somehow more useless with two working arms and it backfires spectacularly? Will Ariana cost you another match? Will Mercedes try to cost me the match and fail miserably? Or will I pin you fail and square?”
Good questions.
”Personally? I’ve always felt that a win gained by cheating isn’t really winning, something you know all too well about, so I’m going to aim for the latter option, but then again? It takes two to tango in this sport and nothing’s guaranteed.” I added as I folded my arms with a smirk. ”After all Courtney, if you were guaranteed to be the World Bombshell Champion by now, would this match even be happening? The bosses have made some baffling decisions as far as the title scenes go, looking at you Bea Barnhart, but putting a nineteen year old rookie in a World Bombshell Title Match against someone like you Courtney? I think that’s too far even for them, my point is Courtney that if you think this match is going to be a walk in the park for you? Look behind me.” I motioned with my head to the Hero Academy logo on the building and the camera panned over to it. ”I was trained by Team Hero bitch! The woman you beat for that title in the first place and the one who you put on a Match of the Year Candidate with during the Violent Conduct Cycle? Yeah, I have their ear for the whole week and they are advising me on all your weaknesses as a performer!”
Bad news for you!
”But to be honest? I don’t think I’ll have a chance to use their advice, because you won’t be wrestling as yourself Courtney, you’ll be wrestling angry.” I added as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”Now granted, the same goes for me, being attacked by an old dinosaur wielding a Singapore Cane because she couldn’t beat a girl young enough to be her granddaughter tends to do that to someone like me! But who’s angrier? The girl who just suffered her first disqualification win in her wrestling career? Or the former champion who got justice served to her on a silver platter? Oh I’m sorry, I meant to say screwed, my bad! Oh wait, I was right the first time, my bad! But where is this anger really coming from Courtney? Is Ruby not screwing you enough so you have to take out your sexual frustrations on unsuspecting Bombshells?”
Yeah, I went there.
”I mean, being mad that you lost a title match is one thing, but trying to break someone’s hand because they cost you the match? Oh and by the way? Whilst I don’t condone Krystal breaking Ruby’s arm for obvious reasons, she did do the whole Bombshell Roster a favour by saving us the trouble of having to wrestle someone as useless as her.” I added before I shook my head. ”If it feels like I’m deliberately trying to push your buttons Courtney, guess what? I am because I want you angry heading into the match, why? Because I know that trying to wrestle whilst angry is a bad idea! The angrier you are Courtney? The better it is for me because that just means that you’ll make more mistakes in that ring.”
How many?
”I’d say enough mistakes to make Kris Ryans question why he ever allowed you to graduate from Jet City in the first place ought to do the trick!” I added with a grin on my face as I flipped some hair over my shoulder. ”The point of this exercise is to show the Bombshell Roster that you’re not the perfect Jet City princess that you perpetuate yourself to be! And what better way to show that than to have a former World Bombshell Champion and Blast from the Past Winner lose to a girl who was thirteen when you won Blast from the Past, eighteen when she finally won the damn title after cashing in your title opportunity earlier this year and nineteen when she delivered you your ass on a silver platter?”
Sad.
”To think, I once respected you for being the Bombshell who ended the last reign of one of my mentors, trust me, I know firsthand how tough Roxi is!” I added as I pointed to Hero Academy. ”But you don’t know how tough I am because we’ve never wrested before Courtney, combine that with your anger and this doesn’t bode well for you, does it?”
How the mighty have fallen.
”I’m sure that sentence about my age has just made some of the older wrestlers go to their bathroom mirrors to check for grey hairs, but guess what? I don’t care, the only thing I care about heading into this match is pinning a former World Bombshell Champion in her first non-title match since losing the title.” I added with a cocky smirk as I stared into the camera. ”See, I thought getting the win over Mercedes last night was going to send my stock in the Bombshell Roster soaring, but then we have a match like this, what will my stock look like when all is said and done?”
It's that simple.
”I know I’m the underdog in this match, that goes without saying, a young rookie against a former World Champ? The champ has this match in the bag, right?” I asked before shaking my head. ”People thought the same about Roxi’s match against Georgie at the start of the year and look at how that turned out, Georgie got the win and so will I and unlike her? I won’t squander any opportunities that come my way after scoring such a huge win!”
And with that I decided to wrap things up.
”I mean, I’m already a two time champion elsewhere in wrestling, I know what it takes to get a win, it’s all up to me to make that happen after I beat you at Rise of the Avenger Part V: Battle Scars.” I added as I brushed some hair over my shoulder. ”And what will you do then Courtney? Blame Ariana? Blame Ruby? The arena lights? The ref? blame the fact that the world needs a new hero and her name is “The Slaytanic Avenger” Harper Mason? Regardless, I’ll see you in the ring!”
I got in my car and drove off as the scene fades.
